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"Can't Knock the Hustle" marked Knobody's first foray into outside production after the rap group he was in disbanded.[1]Knobody had been very pleased with the last track he had produced for the band and, together with Sean C, had taken it to the nearby home of Roc-A-Fella's Damon Dash.[1] Dash then showed it to Jay-Z, who was suitably impressed and encouraged the young producer to contribute beats.[1]Knobody then gave Jay-Z the backing track to what would become "Can't Knock The Hustle".[1] The rapper then recorded the track.[1]

A space was left for the hook, which the Latin singer Veronica was originally supposed to sing, but for which Mary J. Blige stepped in after Roc-A-Fella had contacted her and she heard the track and immediately wanted to get involved.[1] The appearance of Blige was considered a major coup because the label was an independent and Jay-Z was unknown at the time.[1] Blige came up with the idea for the chorus.,[2] which is a vocal interpolation of a verse from "Fool's Paradise" by Meli'sa Morgan, with slightly modified lyrics.

A live version of "Can't Knock the Hustle" found on the bonus disc of Kingdom Come features Beyoncé singing the song's hook. The song's beat has been heavily sampled by UK soul singer Lemar in his song "50/50".

Aside from reaching #73 on The Billboard Hot 100 and #30 on the UK Singles Chart, "Can't Knock the Hustle" also garnered much critical acclaim. As Steve Juon of RapReviews.com states: "Knobody put together an incredibly smooth opening track for Jay that became the mantra of his career. With a bouncy beat and Mary J. Blige on the hook, the song was infinitely danceable, but the lyrics he spit were far from just the average shit."[3] Juon also considers the Hype Williams-directed music video[citation needed] for "Can't Knock the Hustle" to be "movie quality."[4]